July 2002 - Faculty of Business and Law - Victoria University

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MANY FINE THREADS CONNECT US WITH CHINA Western society’s earliest links with China were largely secured by a fine thread – Silk. This superb natural fibre was the currency of substantial trade with the west. It opened doors between ancient civilisations and began the process of breaking down the mystique of the ‘Far East’. Today, different mechanisms are leading to greater understanding between China and the rest of the world. Shared knowledge will undoubtedly pave the Silk Road of the next century and VU’s School of HTM is already plying the route between China and the West … Adding technique to natural flair Wai Lee Leong left Australia last year armed with marketing techniques that she believed would help one of China’s premier resorts to expose its beauty and grandeur to the world. Wai now has her opportunity. She is Director of Marketing at the Shangri-La Hotel in Hanzhou overlooking Zhekiang Province’s renowned West Lake. Her marketing techniques were honed at the School of HTM as part of her MBA course, in which she took particular interest in emerging market trends. “It did not really matter to me that the marketing subjects that I took for my MBA were not directly related to the hospitality industry because I looked at the bigger picture. “I am versatile enough to apply the marketing techniques that I acquired during my course to the hospitality and catering industry after I graduated. “Adapting foreign skills and expertise to local conditions is very common in China,” she said. Wai spent a year completing her MBA course, after completing a four-year hotel management course in London in the 1980s. She undertook further education to “brush up on the latest marketing techniques and trends”. As her title suggests,Wai is in charge of the hotel’s Sales and Marketing division, with its four sub-departments and 25 staff. Its activities embrace every facet of customer contact: sales, banqueting, reservations and communications. She said her specialisation in marketing during her MBA has enabled her to better manage a portfolio of responsibilities that stretch from product development through to electronic marketing and distribution over the intenet. Wai’s current posting should be two years before she is moved elsewhere within the prestigious Shangri-La hotel group. Dr Ruhi Yaman and Bo Gao, HTM’s first graduate in MBUS Hospitality and Tourism Marketing. Bo Gao intends to spread the word Bo Gao is not satisfied with two Masters degrees.That is not because she does not regard them as personal milestones, but because she plans to complete a PhD course at VU before herself becoming an educator to China’s growing population of hospitality and tourism professionals. “My dream is to become a lecturer in China and a doctorate is very important if you want to teach at a Chinese university,” Bo said. “There is a shortage of senior staff in hospitality and tourism in China since the country gained admission to the World Trade Organisation and won the right to host the 2008 Olympic Games.There are plenty of opportunities there.” Bo was packing her belongings for a return to China as we went to press. She wants to gain more hands-on experience before undertaking her PhD, which will be based on the factors influencing the satisfaction of Chinese inbound visitors to Australia. “There are more and more tourists and investors visiting China since it established an ‘open door’ policy towards the west.The demand for quality service is rising. “I chose to study at VU’s School of HTM, because my lecturer at Swinburne TAFE told me that VU offered the best education in these fields,” Bo said (Bo completed a Diploma in Hospitality at Swinburne TAFE). Migrant culture impacts on travel Thu-Huong Nguyen is set to step onto the big stage. She will present a paper she co-authored with VU’s Professor Brian King and Lindsay Turner on Travel Behaviour and Migrant Cultures to an international audience attending the 8th Asia-Pacific Tourism Association (APTA) annual conference in Dalian, China in July. The focal point of the paper is the cultural change that occurs in migrant communities influences their tourism consumption and is therefore likely to influence their travel motives, patterns, expectations and experiences. It is based on an examination of Vietnamese migrants (Viet kieu), particularly referencing return visits to Vietnam. “This topic will be of particular interest to the Dalian delegates, especially those from the host country, China,” said Thu- Huong. “The diaspora (homecoming tourism) experience is important because the Viet kieu share a strong sense of history and culture, having experienced the physical and emotional trauma of migration. “Their experience raises broader questions about the way that migrants view the world such as the differences between the “imagined” and “real” country of origin. “Decisions to travel back to Vietnam may be prompted by a desire to maintain Vietnamese identity, thereby enabling travellers to maintain a degree of normality in their new social environment.” She said the research suggested firstgeneration Viet kieu actively adopt Western behavioural characteristics during their integration into the adopted society and the capitalist system’s emphasis on individualism. They also appeared to maintain certain traditional values and Confucian ideals. Many adhered to traditional practices such as speaking Vietnamese within the family setting, maintaining family religion, kin relationships, obligations to parents, taking care of ancestral tombs and worship and a preference for visiting Vietnam at the Chinese New Year. In the present study some respondents claimed that they felt somewhat torn between Vietnamese and Australian identity, though most identified themselves as Vietnamese. Differences in travel behaviour are evident between the two groups - Viet kieu and non-Viet kieu. Such differences appear to have some connection with the Individualism of the West and the Collectivism of the East respectively. “Given the preoccupation of many Australian academics and politicians with engagement between Australia and Asia, a deeper understanding of the relationship between tourism and migration in a cultural context is essential,”Thu-Huong said. Thu-Huong Nguyen is a HTM PhD student and a STAGGS scholarship holder of the Co-operative Research Centre of Sustainable Tourism, Australia (CRC). Thu-Huong Nguyen TO MARKET TO MARKET Diploma in research The Market Research Society of Australia offers a Diploma in Marketing Research. It requires students to complete eight prescribed subjects at university. John Hall of our Marketing Discipline Area has negotiated an arrangement for VU marketing graduates, allowing them to obtain this diploma on application at completion of their degrees. Past graduates are able to apply. In order to get the Dip of Mktg Research you should obtain the diploma application from the MRSA and attach your VU transcript to your application. www.mrsa.com.au Vice-Chancellor’s Citations Melbourne Airport Chair of Marketing, Professor Michael Polonsky PhD and Course Co-ordinator, Hospitality and Tourism Marketing, Ruhi Yaman PhD have each received the “Vice-Chancellor Citation for Excellence in Research”. In Professor Polonsky’s case, the citation was a career recognition award. In Ruhi Yaman’s instance, it was specific to study that formed the essential part of his PhD dissertation. Masters of the Game It has been harder to keep these good men and women down since their graduation with Masters in Marketing degrees last year. The three, Urban and Regional Land Corporation, Marketing Manager, John Thompson,Vencorp Marketing Services Manager, Mark Riley and Business Development Concepts, Managing Director, Helinka Panzera, already had established business careers, but elected to enhance their professional skills by adding this prestigious qualification. Unfortunately, Helen was not available for this photograph which features (left to right): John Thompson, HTM’s Dr Ruhi Yaman and Mark Riley. Training in training Senior Lecturer in Marketing, Jeffrey Kidd, recently completed a Certificate IV course in Assessment and Workplace Training at Swinburne University. It reflects the School of HTM’s commitment to keep staff up to date with the latest trends and technology in this field. Victoria University 6 School of Hospitality,Tourism & Marketing
New advisor Tourism Victoria’s Deputy Chief Executive, Wayne Kayler- Thomson, has joined the School of HTM’s Programs Advisory Committee. Mr Kayler- Thomson has had regular professional contact with VU staff over the last seven years and is pleased the education sector is proactively seeking closer integration with the tourism industry. “Victoria University is a leader in developing industry collaboration and delivery of quality education and I am delighted to have the opportunity to contribute to developing closer industry-education co-operation,” he said. Mr Kayler-Thomson is also Chairman of the Australian Regional Tourism Network and the Management Board of the Centre for Regional Tourism Research. Leader from Lonely Planet lands at VU Tony Wheeler, the head of international travel publishing phenomenon, Lonely Planet, is joining the School of HTM as Professorial Associate. There are few people on the planet who have explored as many corners of it Head of the School of HTM, Professor Brian King, said Tony’s encyclopaedic knowledge of world destinations and his commercial acumen would be welcome additions to the specialist expertise and skills within the School. “He is one of very few Australians who can claim to be a global figure and influencer in worldwide tourism,” Brian said. “Our students and staff will benefit from their association with him and his company will provide invaluable resources and Co-op placement opportunities for us.” In Class Course makes a refreshing change Many people can nominate their favourite beer or wine. Some can only narrow it down to a brand or a grape variety. These measures are not enough for people getting serious about careers in hospitality, particularly students enrolled in the School of HTM’s Professional Wine and Beverage Studies subject. This subject is unique in more ways than one.There are no prerequisites for enrolment in it, other than you need to be prepared to savour the odd drop of alcohol.This mandatory requirement has not proved a major hurdle to many prospective enrolments. Guest tutors in this program are seasoned beverage tasters. Recently, acclaimed winemaker and consultant, Gary Baldwin, and beer expert and boutique publican, Graeme Calder, presented. Maldives students aim higher The Maldives are internationally renowned as jewels of the Indian Ocean.Tourism is the primary industry for this small group of islands, which have received much publicity for their concerns about global warming and the potential impact of rising sea levels on their land. Students Zakkiya Moosa, Zeenaz Hussain and Ahmed Samah (pictured right) are attending VU’s School of Hospitality,Tourism and Marketing with the assistance of a Maldives government scholarship to complete their Bachelor of Business degrees in Hospitality Management. “There is great demand for qualified hospitality and tourism workers in the Maldives,” they said. “The education programs offered by Australian universities were very tempting compared with other countries. We are studying at VU because it is one of the leading universities in Australia in these fields.” Gary is in hot demand as a consultant to wineries and winemakers, as a judge in wine competitions, and as an industry advisor. His formal qualifications in biochemistry and wine science have provided a formidable backdrop to his hands-on winemaking experience as former Chief Winemaker and General Manager of Arrowfield Wines. Graeme Calder still likes a cold one and, more often than not, a warm one. He is a partner in the Brandon Hotel in North Carlton, one of four establishments in Australia specialising in conditioning and serving real ales in the traditional British manner. He is a keen observer of the market successes and failures of hundreds of Australian and international beers, that have come, endured or disappeared. The three already have Higher National Diplomas from their home country in Hospitality Business Management.They work at different resorts on the islands and have provided hospitality training for other staff. Higher qualifications will enable them to “go up the ladder” in the Maldives. Their diplomas and work experience have earned them sufficient credits to complete their VU degrees in only one year. “We have found the VU study programs very inspiring and challenging,” they said. co-op • tourism • hospitality • marketing • travel • careers • achievement • awards • goals directions alumni BEN’s brush with fame What a client list! Ben Kelly can boast one of the most illustrious in the world and all because of a dream Co-op placement at one of London’s most salubrious hotels, The Connaught, at the top of the Monopoly board in Mayfair. The Connaught is one of five Savoy properties in the UK. The right job would be music to his ears Combining one of life’s great pleasures with completion of a university degree seemed an outstanding opportunity to Colin Barrass, who recently graduated with a BBus Music Industry. HTM marketing lecturer, Pandora Kay recently caught up with Colin while on a teaching assignment at Sunway.Colin chose to complete his degree at Sunway College in the Petaling Jaya area of Malaysia, a strategy that required some careful long-range planning early in his VU course. He only had electives to complete by the time he went to Sunway and many of these were marketing-related subjects. “I completed my degree at Sunway to get the most out of my university experience. Travel is something I undertake for pleasure. The opportunity to combine the experience of living in another country as well as develop my academic, personal and professional profile was too good to pass up. “Gaining work in the music industry is particularly difficult. I will continue to pursue any avenues available to me. I also have a keen interest in economics and I am looking at working in that field also. “Having gained experience in a business/economics environment, I will continue to assess my suitability for a job in the music industry and apply as appropriate,” he says. But back to Ben’s client list, which has included Princess Sophie, Lady Spencer, Margaret Thatcher, Jack Nicholson, Sidney Poitier and Joan Collins. Add to these a list of prominent politicians and diplomats and you have a pretty impressive list. Ben (pictured second from right) began his Coop year in the hotel’s Michelin-starred restaurant doing everything from polishing the silver (naturally it is silver service) to working the carvery trolley and presenting a delectable array of sweets to discerning, but tempted, guests. “My Co-op position placed great demands on me. Being a French restaurant, the menu was written in French, the kitchen staff spoke in French and the service demanded the best in French elegance. “I was the sole employee speaking English as my mother tongue. My school-level French had not equipped me to be fluent with the names of the dishes we offered and I was slow to pick it up. The task was not made easier by the fact that we served more than 80 French dishes,” he says. As time passed and communication with colleagues became easier, Ben says there was plenty of humour shared by the staff. It also enabled him to learn from professionals, most of whom had worked with the Savoy group for at least a decade. Ben was promoted to Chef de Rang, but is now back in Melbourne, where he is completing his BBus Catering and Hotel Management. 9
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July 2002 - Faculty of Business and Law - Victoria University

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